Book Review: Firewatching by Russ Thomas

A cold case that burns.

A city about to ignite. 

If I had to describe Firewatching by Russ Thomas in one word, it would be wow. And if I'm honest, that doesn't even give this book justice. 

Told over the period of a week and set in the sleepy village of Castledene, Sheffield, Firewatching is a dark and twisty police procedural introducing Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler, a cold case reviewer with a troubled past, and the sole representative of South Yorkshire's Cold Case Review Unit. When the skeleton of corrupt businessman Gerald Cartwright is discovered bricked-up behind a false wall in the cellar of the Old Vicarage, Adam lands himself this high-profile murder investigation, only to find himself in hot water. The good news is that they have a prime suspect. The bad news? That suspect is Oscar, his recent one-night stand.

Russ is unbelievably good at writing character. I love a memorable, flawed protagonist and Adam does not disappoint; I found myself rooting for this tenacious character from the very beginning. Along with ambitious Constable Amina Rabbani and despite his link to the suspect, Adam manages to stay on the case, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Will this be the case that finally allows him to show his superiors what he's made of?

And then there's Lily Bainbridge and Edna Burnside, an elderly couple who looked after Oscar as a child. The hand-delivered notes that keep being pushed through Lily's door terrify her. I know what you did. If only the dementia wasn't stopping her from knowing what she did. 

As more and more fires spring up all over Castledene, it's clear that a pyromaniac is on the loose, dead set on watching the world burn. But why? Told from the perspectives of Adam, Rabbani, Lily and a mysterious, anonymous blogger known only as the Fire Watcher, this story scorches with a tangle of threads that I challenge even the most seasoned of thriller readers to tie together before the incredible, unpredictable ending. An ending I did not see it coming. At all. 

Firewatching is a tense, suspenseful read that is as intriguing as it is gripping. The writing is sharp and expertly plotted. I blazed through this unputdownable book in a matter of days, and I'm confident you will too. 

You can snap up a hardback, ebook or audiobook copy of Firewatching now, and the paperback lands on 15th October.

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

About the author

Russ Thomas is an author and creative writing tutor living in Sheffield. Firewatching is Russ's first book in a new series of crime thrillers set in Sheffield, published by Simon & Schuster in the UK. The sequel, Nighthawking, will be released in April 2021.

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Book Review: All that is Buried by Robert Scragg

I'm so excited to share this review with you, because this is one of the most exciting books I've read this year. The police procedural is my absolute favourite genre and All that is Buried had a lot to live up to. Reader, I'm chuffed to say it didn't disappoint.

When 7-year-old Libby Hallforth goes missing at a funfair without even a sniff of evidence or a single witness, DI Jake Porter and DS Nick Styles are left with more questions than they have answers. The case goes cold, and all hope of finding Libby is lost, until human remains are discovered several months later. And like with all good crime novels, it's just the start of a race against time to stop a killer in their tracks. 

The thing that stood out the most for me was the characters. I've read a fair few crime novels where the story is gripping but I struggle to connect with the characters. This is different. Porter and Styles are strong characters, who are real, relatable and make a great duo. I'm keen to find out what happens to them next. I particularly enjoyed the chapters written from the killer's point of view, although I'm not sure what that says about me!

The plot itself is well-crafted, with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, and madly swiping the pages of my Kindle long into the night. And the ending? Totally did not see that one coming. I also loved the side-plots that dipped in and out of the personal lives of the detectives, which really enriched the plot. 

It's safe to say I am a massive fan of All that is Buried. You know when you're desperate to race to the end to find out what happens, but at the same time, want to slow down and savour it? Yeah... that. This is the third in the series but enough of the backstory is filled in for the reader to keep up. This is a fast-paced, thrilling read that is packed not only with action, but the emotion that is often left out of this kind of book. It's an absolute belter.

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

About the author

Rob Scragg is a northerner born and bred. He is the author of the Porter & Styles series, as well as a founding member of the North East Noir crime writers group.

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Book Review: A Wanted Man by Rob Parker

Readers, it's happened again. You know what I mean. I've fallen in love with a series. A Wanted Man by Rob Parker is the first in the Ben Bracken series, and I was well and truly hooked from page one. 

Ben Bracken, an ex-soldier, has engineered his own escape from prison, on a mission to seek revenge on the man who put him there. It soon becomes clear that Bracken is one of the good guys, and I found myself rooting for him immediately. Bracken is side-tracked by an old friend Jack, who desperately needs his help following the murder of his father. Before long, he is tangled up with the biggest crime mob in Manchester: the Berg. 

This pacey, action-packed thriller will lead you through the streets of Manchester (one of my favourite places, might I add!), lure you into the murky world of organised crime and leave you on the edge of your seat. The explosive action scenes were particularly well-written and full of the drama you crave from this kind of book. I have to say, I could totally see this playing out at a film. Reader, I challenge you to try and put this book down!

With an expertly-crafted plot, perfectly-flawed characters, plenty of twists and turns and a brilliant ending that I didn't see coming, I wholeheartedly recommend A Wanted Man if you like your thrillers gritty, dark and packed full of action. 

Now, excuse me while I order the entire Ben Bracken collection...

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

About the author

Rob Parker is a married father of three, who lives in Warrington, UK. The author of the Ben Bracken thrillers, Crook’s Hollow and the #1 Audible bestseller Far From The Tree, he enjoys a rural life, writing horrible things between school runs. Rob writes full time, attends various author events across the UK, and boxes regularly for charity. He spends a lot of time in schools across the North, encouraging literacy, story-telling and creative-writing, and somehow squeezes in time to co-host the For Your Reconsideration film podcast, appear regularly on The Blood Brothers crime podcast, and is a member of the Northern Crime Syndicate.

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